SH Spotlight I'm asked stuff: Favorite mastering engineer, best BOSTON CD, best TRAVELING WILBURYS CD, etc..

Sorry, Brain lapse... "Run through the Jungle" and "Up around the bend".
sounded pretty good I thought

 

Some mighty good ones, though.

 

Steve, re: Chicago.

Have you heard the 1991 Group Portrait set? If so, what is your assessment.

 

And that's when a lot of we SHF'ers went hunting for either the old Columbia CDs or the ones on Chicago Records before they were all remastered in 2001. For a few years the older CDs were plentiful, but now I think the well is drying up. All I really see anymore are the remasters. When I can't find the older CDs, I find the original vinyl and make needledrops of those. I don't trust the hi-rez downloads.

 

Good sources, tasteful mastering from Mark Wilder.

 

Along with the MasterSound CTA and the MFSL SACDs, probably the best sounding Chicago digitally, at least for the original mixes.

 

Took me ages tracking down an old V Grant on disc, geesh. (at an affordable price)
I gave up a few years ago, and when a recent thread popped up I finally found one.

 

I've only played it once, but it did not "sound" like a fold to me.
Does anyone else know?

 

Fold-downs do not have a specific "sound".

That said, this is definitely a different mix:



The mono mix is missing both an additional electric rhythm guitar part throughout (center in the stereo mix) and some additional drumming at the end, noticeably a cymbal crash at 2:52 in the stereo mix.

 

I'm liking it a little better than the couple of Rhinos (I, II and IX) I have or the Chicago Records issues I previously had. This set was remastered by Mark Wilder, only on CD (x4).

Sounds a bit more open and balanced, not pushed too hard.

 

Thanks for taking the time.
Well, well, so it may well be a dedicated mono mix.

 

Regarding CTA on cd, do you have a preference between the Mastersound and the MFSL SACD?

 

Nope.

 

Ok great. The Mastersound is quite a bit older so I wasn’t sure if any new technology available had improved the sound quality in any way. I have the Mastersound and like it and was on the fence about purchasing the MFSL. Thanks for your response.

 

Do you feel the same way about the Santana S/T Mastersound and the MFSL SACD?

 

Steve, I like that avatar much better!

 

Hello Steve! I just picked up your mastering of The Mamas and the Papas - 16 of their greatest hits. Any good memories or challenges that you would like to share about that one?

 

I haven’t heard either of those.

 

I have the Mastersound and like it but I’ve also heard positive comments regarding the SACD. If I remember correctly, Steve H recommended the Mastersound a while ago.

 

Whatever you did Steve, it worked. The tracks on that cd sound worlds better than their vinyl counterparts on the original releases. And I’m a vinyl over cd any day kind of guy.